Death Bring Us Closer
by TheTealSeal
Summary: After his wife dies, Draco gets a letter from Astoria detailing her year leading up to her death. Draco and Hermione look into the mystery behind Astoria's passing and try to deal with the new danger threatening the wizarding world.


**Death Brings us Closer**

 _Chapter One_

Hermione stood on platform 9 ¾ with her husband Ron to send off their daughter Rose to Hogwarts for the first time. Ron was still holding her trunk, not ready to say goodbye to his daughter yet.

"Dad, you have to let me go soon. I promise I will write. And you don't have to worry; I'll have Albus there with me.

"I know sweetheart. It's just really hard to see you starting to grow up all of a sudden. One minute you are a baby in my arms and the next you are off to Hogwarts. Before I know it you will be off getting married and leaving me all alone."

"Oh Dad don't say that, you have Mum," Rose said motioning between her two parents.

Just then Harry and Ginny Potter emerged through the wall after their three children. Rose took her trunk from her father and went after the other two oldest children while Harry held Albus back to talk to him.

"I guess we are finally going to know what it is like to have the house back to ourselves. It's going to be weird without her isn't it?" Hermione asked Ron.

"It is going to take some getting used to, but I'm sure she will be fine. She can't possibly get into any more trouble than we did in school. Not to mention Neville will be at the school to keep tabs on her and make sure she stays in line."

"You're right. Let's go say hello to Harry and Ginny."

"Hermione, Ron," Ginny called from next to Harry.

Hermione embraced her redheaded friend once she made her way over, "Can you believe we are finally going to have the places to ourselves, all the children out. What are we going to do with ourselves?"

"Well I know what Harry and I will be doing tonight," Ginny said giving Harry a mischievous look. Hermione and Ron made it a point not to look at each other.

As Rose and Albus came back to say goodbye to their parents before boarding the express Rose said, "Well I don't care what he says, as long as he is sorted into Slytherin any Malfoy is an enemy of mine. Just ask my daddy."

Hermione shot Ron a glare and looked to her daughter and Albus, "Now Rose, do not judge people by their blood. Just because he was born a Malfoy does not mean he is going to be a mean person. Give him a chance. Who knows maybe you or Albus will be sorted into Slytherin."

"Ha. Like that could happen both my parents were in Gryffindor and well as Albus's and his two siblings; we are shoe ins. Look at the little Malfoy over there, the next Slytherin for sure," Rose said motioning across the station.

Hermione looked up and saw Draco Malfoy with his son on the platform, no wife. And that's when she remembered that his wife had recently past; the week before if she remembered correctly. She was still staring at him when he looked up and caught her eye. He nodded and looked away, none of the hostility in his eyes that had been there when they were children.

Just then the Hogwarts express's horn blew and Rose threw her arms around first Hermione and then Ron before grabbing Albus by the arm and dragged him aboard the train. The four parents stood their waving at the train as it pulled out of the station hoping to catch a glimpse of their children before it pulled out and left for Hogwarts.

"Well Hermione, shall we head to the ministry?" Harry asked looking to Hermione, who nodded.

"Hey, Harry doesn't stay at work too long. I have something special planned for us for our first night alone," Ginny said giving him a kiss that was not very appropriate for the train station.

"Alright Gin, I think he gets it. Along with everyone else at the train station," Ron said pulling his sister off Harry.

"Oh like your and Mione don't have plans for tonight," she grumbled.

Hermione and Harry made their way out of the station and onto the streets of London. enjoying the time spent just the two of them.

"Sounds like you and Ginny are planning a fun night," Hermione said knocking Harry in the shoulder.

"Ya well, you know with the kids all finally out of the house and Ginny's quidditch season just wrapping up, it seems like the perfect time just…"

"Shag each other like you are teenagers again?"

"Exactly. I'm sure you and Ron are going to be doing the exact same thing as soon as you both get homes considering Rose is finally away at Hogwarts and you have the house to yourself."

"Well we do have the house to ourselves," was her only response as the two walked into the ministry. Harry waved goodbye and went on his separate way. Hermione started walking towards her office and almost ran into a tall man.

"Oh my, I am so sorry,"

"Its not a…" Draco Malfoy flattered as her turned around and saw who ran into him, "Oh it's you."

"Draco, I really am sorry," Hermione stuck her hand out stopping him from proceeding, "What brings you to the Ministry today?"

"Well, as I'm sure you have heard, along with every other person in this country, my wife died. I am here to take care of some affair."

"Wouldn't Gringotts take care of that?"

"You would of thought, but no," he stated exasperated, "these affairs are to magical." Draco air quoted the magical part.

"Wait, are you headed to the magical affairs department?"

"Why yes Granger, so inquisitive of you."

"I'm department head. Why don't I help make your experience as painless as possible?" Hermione lead him down the hall way and into her office. Once in her office Hermione had him sit in a chair and pulled his file. She read over it and drew her brows together. Draco looked at her inquisitively.

"What?"

"Nothing. All it says is she left you a letter and that you should open it when you feel ready."

"Did it say anything about what it was about?"

"It says it's about what she has been doing for the past year."

"Great, a cryptic message about a message. Thank you Astoria," Draco practically yelled.

"You want to get a drink," Hermione asked in a spur of the moment.

Draco just looked at her.

"Come on Mr. Malfoy. You look like you need it."

"If we are going to be day drinking you cannot call me Mr. Malfoy. It makes me feel old."

Hermione let out a sigh of relief and walked around her desk as she held out her hand. Draco hesitantly slipped his hand into hers and her apparated them to pub.

"You're lucky you are catching me in a time of weakness, otherwise I would be much meaner."

"Ya, I'm sure Malfoy. You changed after the war you know. You weren't some hateful git anymore. Still a git, just not a hateful one."

"Ok, whatever you say Granger."

Hermione motioned to the bartender and she brought over two fire whiskeys. "So I know you not really one to talk about personal stuff so how about impersonal stuff?"

"My favorite color's green," Draco said, sarcasm dripping off his tongue.

"You know I didn't do this for you to be annoying. I did this to help give you an outlet to vent to. Even if it is someone you don't particularly care for."

"Fine Granger. I'm just going to need to get a few drinks in me first," Draco stated as he chugged the first fire whisky and asked the waited to just bring him the bottle, "Okay, let's see. I got a job as a dark magic hunter; hired by your friend Potter. Thought I would be useful because of my background as a death eater. I assume that's why you are being so nice to me.

"Well is doesn't hurt that you work for a section of the Auror's Department. It adds a layer of trust to your person. Makes you not look like such an arse."

"Really? And to think all I had to do was work under your bestie."

"Well it did help that you married a girl that didn't believe in blood status and raised your son to not hate Mudbloods." Draco's eyes widened at her words.

"What? It was common knowledge that you raised your son that way. The _Prophet_ had a field day with that story," When his troubled look still didn't lessen Hermione nodded, "Ah, it was because I said Mudblood. Looks like it hurts you to hear more now than it hurts me. I think I earned the right to say it after I had it engraved into my arm."

"I'm sorry."

"Well it's over now. We were in school and I was just as bad back to you as you were to me. Hopefully our children will learn to overlook house prejudices and learn to get along. Or better yet, get sorted into house they were not expected being sorted into."

"Ha, ya right. My Scorpius was bread to be a Slytherin as I'm sure your daughter was bread for Gryffindor."

"Rose."

"Huh."

"Rose. That's her name."

"Oh, well it's pretty."

"Thanks. This is weird. You and me sitting here drinking a bottle of whiskey, or now two bottles of whiskey"

"Ya, who would have thought, what would you husband have to say about this if he knew?"

"Ron?" Hermione said shaking her head, "He and I have been growing apart for awhile. I doubt he would even care, or notice for that part. Ginny and Harry were all over each other at the station today; ready to shag each others' brains out now that they have the house to themselves. And here I am with a husband who hasn't so much as looked at me in a year. And I'm telling you this, a man who has hated my guts pretty much his whole life and who has lost his wife so he doesn't even have the chance to have a shitty relationship."

"Damn Granger. Since we are getting way too personal I guess I'll tell you shit about my life you don't need to know too. Astoria and I didn't get married because we loved each other, we got married because we knew it would piss our families off the enough o leave us alone and ensure we got to keep our inherits. She was a muggleborn lover, a blood traitor as my father would call her and my father was going to Azkaban. Neither of us would make their other family happy. So what did we do? We got hitched. And then we had a kid. And then she died."

"That sucks."

The two spent the rest of the day and well into the night catching up and telling stories about what they had been doing over the years. Six bottles later the two stumbled out of the bar and parted ways.

-  
 **Thank you so much to anyone who reads. This first fanfiction and it means so much to me to even get one viewer. I do not know how far I am going to take these characters at this point, I am just writing because I love to write.**


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